Mountby, Scarborough: First stage of huge new 1,400-home development - complete with school - submitted to council

Persimmon Homes Ltd is seeking outline planning permission for up to 1,400 dwellings, a primary school, and a local centre with all matters reserved except for access.

The 131-hectare parcel of land, which is located to the east of Scarborough Business Park and south of Cayton and Eastfield, would be known as Mountby.

The ‘hybrid’ planning application also proposes full planning permission for the first phase of the scheme, consisting of 251 dwellings, site access and spine road, associated infrastructure, landscaping, and parking.

The applicant’s proposal was first revealed in 2018.

A previous Phase 1 plan consisting of 344 homes was submitted in 2019 but after a design panel suggested a “fundamental rethink of the whole strategic masterplan” it was revised in discussion with North Yorkshire Council.

That plan also received objections from several members of the public raising concerns about its design and overdevelopment.

If the construction of the first 251 dwellings is approved, they would be built on 11 hectares of land with 2.6 hectares dedicated to open space.

The development would provide a mix of one to four-bedroom properties which would range from flats, terraced and semi-detached properties to detached dwellings.

According to the plans, the new ‘village’ would include a pond and village green to create a “welcoming open space” and a “distinct sense of place with potential for glimpsed outward views towards Oliver’s Mount”.

A dedicated space for play would also be created, providing an opportunity for informal recreation and community activities, which would be surrounded by dwellings that provide “high levels of public surveillance”.

The proposal states that Mountby will “promote a sustainable way of living” with “homes for all, a new school, community facilities and shops” as well as a mosaic of landscape spaces.

However, it adds: “Given this is the initial phase of development the scheme will deliver and achieve over time.”

The area would be easily and safely accessible by cycling and walking and streets will be designed for people over private vehicles and public transport is the “most efficient choice for short journeys”.

There is a range of existing facilities and services within walking and cycling distance, according to the plans, and the nearest bus stops to the site are located on Cayton Low Road, within 400m of the centre of the development’s first phase.

The application is currently open to representations and is seeking views from consultees, while North Yorkshire Council has not set a date for deciding on the plan.